On this day (July 20) in 1917, Lucille Walker was born in Mart, Texas. Before rising to fame, she changed her name to Cindy Walker. She notched her first hit as a songwriter in 1941, thanks to Bing Crosby. Later, Merle Haggard, Ernest Tubb, Bob Wills, Ray Charles, and many others turned Walker’s songs into hits.
Music was in Walker’s blood. Her mother was an accomplished pianist, and her grandfather wrote hymns. She started as a performer, appearing in stage shows where she would sing and dance. She was also steadily writing songs. By the time she was 23, she had penned the song that would put her on the map.
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According to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, she traveled with her parents to Los Angeles, California, in 1940. While traveling down Sunset Boulevard, she demanded that her father stop the car. She had a song she wanted to pitch to Bing Crosby. While he didn’t think it would go the way she hoped, her father relented and pulled over.
A few minutes after entering the office building, she came out and asked her mother to come in and play piano for her. Together, they performed “Lone Star Trail” for Bing Crosby’s brother, Larry. He was so impressed by the song that he contacted his brother to set up a meeting. The next day, Walker accompanied herself and sang it for Crosby, who was looking for another Western song. He liked what he heard so much that he arranged for her to record a demo of the song with Decca Records’ Dave Kapp. The pattern continued. Kapp liked what he heard so much that he signed her to the label.
In 1941, Crosby took “Lone Star Trail” to No. 23.
Cindy Walker’s Recording Career
Cindy Walker stayed in Los Angeles for 13 years. While there, she performed on the stage and local radio stations. Additionally, she appeared in Ride, Tenderfoot, Ride with Gene Autry. Walker also recorded with Texas Jim Lewis and His Lonestar Cowboys, including “Seven Beers with the Wrong Man.” She had a top 10 hit with “When My Blue Moon Turns to Gold Again” in 1944. Twenty years later, she released her only album, Words and Music.
While in Los Angeles, Walker formed a partnership with western swing legend Bob Wills. He recorded dozens of her songs, including “Cherokee Maiden,” “Dusty Skies,” “Bubbles in My Beer,” and “Sugar Moon,” which were all hits.
Walker Wrote Timeless Hits
Cindy Walker could tailor her songwriting to various styles. As a result, she penned songs that have been recorded by a wide variety of artists. At the same time, she wrote songs that stood the test of time. That’s why she was able to have hits across five decades. Below is a small selection of the timeless songs she wrote.
- “Anna Marie”–Jim Reeves (No. 3)
- “Cherokee Maiden”–Merle Haggard (No. 1)
- “Distant Drums”–Jim Reeves ( No. 1)
- “Don’t Be Ashamed of Your Age”–Ernest Tubb & Red Foley (No. 7)
- “Dream Baby (How Long Must I Dream)”–Roy Orbison (No. 4)
- “The Gold Rush Is Over”–Hank Snow (No. 2)
- “You Don’t Know Me”–Mickey Gilley (No. 1)
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